PlainZIP

Rutherford College, NC · standard

ZIP Code 28671

Burke County, North Carolina - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.

597
311/sq mi
$73,929
Median income
$317,500
Median home value
26.0%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Rutherford College pairs an above-median household income with above-median home values, in a low-density, mixed-tenure area.

Top 47%
household income, US ZIPs
Top 31%
home value, US ZIPs
311
people per sq mi
56%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 28671 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 28671 is a sparsely populated ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Rutherford College, Burke County, North Carolina, home to just 597 residents across 1.9 square miles, a density of 311 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.

ZIP 28671 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $73,929 (7% above the North Carolina average), while per-capita income is $26,933. 8.9% of residents live below the poverty line, and the unemployment rate reads 5.9%. The typical home here is valued at $317,500 (22% above the state average); renters pay a median of - monthly, and 55.7% of units are owner-occupied.

Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 26.0% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 61.1, and the average commute is -. A geography-based comparison follows: 9 ZIP codes within about 10 miles of 28671, plus 6 more within Burke County, give a clearer read than the national average alone.

Every figure on this page is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (including median rent) and the FHFA House Price Index, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with Census →

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, FHFA HPI for ZIP 28671, Rutherford College, NC · 2023 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.

Quick Facts

597

Population

1.9

Area (sq mi)

311

People / sq mi

New York

Time Zone

standard

ZIP Type

Neighborhood Scorecard
Get an A-F grade across income, safety, housing, rent, education, commute, and childcare for this ZIP code.
View Scorecard →

Who lives in ZIP 28671?

61.1

Median Age

49.6%

Male

50.4%

Female

0.0%

Foreign-Born

White 92.0%
African American 5.9%
Asian 0.0%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.0%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 2.1%
Hispanic or Latino 0.0%

Hispanic or Latino is an ethnicity category from the Census Bureau and may overlap with other categories above.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

How much do residents earn?

$73,929

Median Household Income

+7% vs state

$26,933

Per Capita Income

8.9%

Poverty Rate

5.9%

Unemployment Rate

How ZIP 28671 ranks nationally

Rutherford College, NC household income vs. every US ZIP code

Median household income, the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked

$73,929 Top 47% higher than 53% of 30,318 US ZIPs

$0–$20,000: 118 US ZIPs (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 1,573 US ZIPs (5%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 7,092 US ZIPs (23%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 9,980 US ZIPs (33%). This entry sits in this band. $80,000–$100,000: 5,778 US ZIPs (19%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 2,855 US ZIPs (9%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 1,362 US ZIPs (4%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 686 US ZIPs (2%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 364 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 186 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 324 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. This ZIP $0 $200K+ every reporting US ZIP, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US ZIPs. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2019–2023

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What is the education profile here?

High School Graduate or Higher 62.5%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 26.0%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What does housing look like?

131

Total Housing Units

106

Occupied Units

25

Vacant Units

2.42

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 55.7%
Renter 44.3%

$317,500

Median Home Value

+22% vs state

1970

Median Year Built

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 17 business establishments in ZIP 28671, employing approximately 445 people with a combined annual payroll of $16,320,000.

17

Businesses

445

Employees

$16.3M

Annual Payroll

2

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Health care and social assistance 6 35.3%
Other services (except public administration) 3 17.6%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP), 2023. Employment figures may include noise for disclosure avoidance.

Nearby ZIP Codes

Want a side-by-side? Compare 28671 vs 28690 →

ZIP 28671 vs its nearest neighbors, by population

Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

residents

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 28671 ranks #8 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023

ZIP 28671 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income

Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

median income

What this shows By household income, ZIP 28671 ranks the highest of 9 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023
ZIP Code City Population Distance
28690 Valdese, NC 9,295 2.9 mi
28619 Drexel, NC 1,520 4.2 mi
28666 Icard, NC 368 3.7 mi
28612 Connelly Springs, NC 12,397 6.4 mi
28667 Rhodhiss, NC 559 5.8 mi
28638 Hudson, NC 12,302 7.0 mi
28637 Hildebran, NC 1,746 6.5 mi
28630 Granite Falls, NC 20,041 7.7 mi
28602 Hickory, NC 28,981 9.5 mi

More ZIP Codes in Burke County

28655 standard
Morganton, NC
Pop: 54,996
28612 standard
Connelly Springs, NC
Pop: 12,397
28690 standard
Valdese, NC
Pop: 9,295
28637 standard
Hildebran, NC
Pop: 1,746
28619 standard
Drexel, NC
Pop: 1,520
28628 standard
Glen Alpine, NC
Pop: 479

Related Areas

Burke County Rutherford College, NC North Carolina

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 28671 in? ▼
ZIP code 28671 (Rutherford College) is located in Burke County, North Carolina. Burke County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/burke-nc.
What is the population of ZIP code 28671? ▼
ZIP code 28671 in Rutherford College, NC has a population of 597 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 28671? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 28671 is $73,929, which is 3% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 28671? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 28671 is $317,500, which is 14% above the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 28671? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 28671 is White at 92.0%.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 28671? ▼
ZIP code 28671 has 17 business establishments employing approximately 445 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What is the education level in ZIP code 28671? ▼
In ZIP code 28671, 62.5% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 26.0% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 28671? ▼
In ZIP code 28671, approximately 55.7% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 44.3% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 28671? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 28671 is 8.9% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.

Read our methodology to see how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.